New Stage in Ukraine-Russia Negotiations
On May 15, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky approved a new Ukrainian delegation for negotiations with Russia to be held in Istanbul aimed at achieving a fair and sustainable peace.
This information is detailed in decree No. 306/2025, published on the President's Office website.
The delegation will be led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and it includes the following members:
- Serhiy Kyslytsya – First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine;
- Oleksandr Poklad – Deputy Head of the Security Service of Ukraine;
- Oleh Luhovskyi – First Deputy Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service;
- Olexiy Shevchenko – Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
- Vadym Skibitskyi – Deputy Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense;
- Yevhen Shinkarov – Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Forces Command;
- Oleksandr Diakov – Deputy Chief of Staff of the Naval Forces Command;
- Olexiy Malovatskyi – Head of the International and Operational Law Department of the Central Legal Directorate of the General Staff;
- Oleksandr Sherikhov – Senior Officer of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff;
- Georgiy Kuzmychov – Protocol Officer of the Armed Forces Commander’s Office;
- Oleksandr Bevz – Advisor to the Head of the President's Office.
The decree also stipulates that the head of the delegation may, with the president's consent, make changes to the delegation's composition and approve confidential negotiation directives.
It is important to note that President Zelensky has traveled to Ankara, awaiting the arrival of Vladimir Putin.
However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced that Putin will not travel to Istanbul for negotiations with the Ukrainian delegation, instead sending a low-level delegation led by assistant Vladimir Medinsky.
In light of this, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio does not see any chances for a breakthrough in the negotiations between the Ukraine and Russia delegations in Istanbul.
